Taking position on trade, tax justice, Greece and urgency of search and rescue in Mediterranean sea - 50th EPSU Executive Committee

EPSU will use Global Public Services Day Tuesday 23 June to draw attention to the impact of the trade agreements CETA and the negotiations on TTIP and TISA on public services. This was decided by the 50th EPSU Executive Committee. Affiliated unions are requested to seek publicity for our concerns and inform membership and public service workers of how the trade agreements effect workers' rights.

The trade agreements and especially if they include so-called Investor State Dispute Settlement and a Regulatory Cooperation Council undermine democracy.

The day of action follows on the global day of action that took place on 18 April and in which many affiliates participated. We will also join tax justice campaigners on that day demanding that corporations pay their taxes which was our joint EPSU/PSI and Global Tax Justice Alliance message for 1st of May. The day will mark the continuation of our work to end tax fraud and to stress our demands for investment in tax administrations and staff. The tax avoidance scheme of McDonalds was a good example of how companies fail to contribute.

The EPSU president pointed to the death of people on the Mediterranean Sea these last weeks in her opening remarks, calling it a scandal as these deaths could have been prevented if the EU had invested in search and rescue as EPSU had demanded rather than border patrols. The Executive Committee adopted a clear position insisting that the EU assumes its responsibility. The 9 points of EPSU demands for immediate action include the immediate restoration of EU-funded search-and-rescue operations, providing sufficient and well-trained public service workers in reception and asylum processing centres, an immediate suspension of the Dublin Convention according to which the EU country of arrival is responsible for processing the asylum claims of applicants, placing an unfair strain on countries involved in the rescue operations, in this case Italy, Greece, Malta, Spain, and Cyprus and that the EU Member States should establish legal channels of migration and supporting regularisation of undocumented migrants.

The Executive Committee also adopted a position on Greece supporting the Greek workers and their unions under pressure in the negotiations between the EU institutions and the Greek government. EPSU agrees that further austerity will only worsen the already desperate state of many public services and the extent to which everyone in Greece has access to these services and benefits from social protection. The priority should be to address these pressing social problems and solidarity should be the order of the day and not punitive measures that impact the poor. Action is urgent to stabilise public finances particularly by a substantial increase in resources in the tax administration to fight tax evasion and fraud and to build a sustainable and progressive tax system, necessary to finance public services. This requires investment in professional training and good employment conditions for tax inspectors. EPSU estimates that the Greek tax administration needs to increase employment by three or four times to be up to the task. EPSU also supports the call from the Greek parliament for a comprehensive audit of public debt as this could shed light on how the debt has accumulated and the extent to which public finances are being effectively siphoned off to maintain financial institutions. The EPSU Congress adopted a resolution supporting such audits.

With the decline in overall membership continuing the Executive Committee decided to discuss Organising and Recruitment and how EPSU can be supportive of the efforts of affiliates at its next meeting.

The Irish affiliates invited EPSU to have its 10th Congress in Dublin in 2019. The Executive Committee welcomed and agreed the proposal with a round of applause. The Irish affiliates were thanked for the invitation and we all look forward to working with the Irish colleagues.

Other documents adopted:

- The Report of Activities 2014
- The Finance Report 2014
- The EPSU delegation at the ETUC Congress, the amendments to the ETUC work programme and a position on the constitutional amendments
- European representatives to the PSI Standing Orders Committee and Constitutional Working Group. PSI is starting the preparations for its Congress in October 2017 (Geneva).

It noted:
- the discussions between EPSU and PSI to ensure synergies, improve cooperation and focus on key issues. These discussions will continue.
- an update on the EPSU priorities
- several reports on the activities of EPSU in the sectors, on youth, gender equality and the work in the constituencies.

Presentations were made on the ongoing negotiations on information and consultation for public administrations, on the implementation of the Guidelines "Migration and Strengthening anti-discrimination" adopted in Local and Regional Government, on the strategic importance of work of the European Commission on health care assistants and on the preparations for the Climate Change Summit in December 2015, Paris. The November Executive will also have a reflection on the direction to the regional work.

The Executive Committee took place on 28 and 29 April 2015 in Brussels. Annelie Nordström presided the meeting which was attended by over 80 members and colleagues. The Executive thanked Jerry van den Berge, EPSU policy staff utilities and corporate policy for his contributions to the work of EPSU. Jerry will return to the Netherlands end of the summer.